Bakeshop cooks up personal pies

The I Like Pie Bakeshop offers a variety of mini pies with flavors ranging from cherry blueberry to peanut butter chocolate cream and even gluten-free options. The shop is located in the Claremont Village off Indian Hill Blvd. / photo by Celine Dehban

Alejandra Aguilar
Staff Writer

As the doors to I Like Pie Bakeshop open, an aroma of freshly baked pie lingers in the air.

A wall is covered with aprons – giving off a sense of warmth and happiness as if you were in comforts of your own home.

You turn around and you find yourself with an array of colors – all the size of cupcakes. Some of them have a raspberry on top; some have powdered sugar and some are topped off with caramel.

Numerous single-sized pies sit behind a glass wall, ready to entice people who walk through the doors.

I Like Pie Bakeshop is a bakery that specializes in homemade sweet and savory single-sized pies and is located in the city of Claremont.

Owner Annika Corbin opened the store in 2012 hoping to transform a classic dessert into an everyday treat and meal.

Corbin’s love for baking began long before she thought about opening a business. She began by baking jelly jars pies for her friends. The pies were baked in jelly jars and got their name that way. Her pies grew popular – as did the pie trend.

After researching the pie trend, she reinvented the cupcake by making pies the size of a cupcake but with the same flavor of a whole pie.

Corbin’s goal was to make pie something that could be eaten as dessert and dinner.

She combined her creativity with her husband’s business skills and I Like Pie Bakeshop was born.

“Most bakeries have one kind of each pastry, but we have taken pie to a whole new level,” Corbin said. “We offer it in countless flavors and go into it as deep as possible.”

“The size of our pies definitely set us apart from other bakeshops,” employee Robert Gomez said.

Corbin said their cream pies are the most popular year-round. During the summer season, the peach raspberry jelly jar pie is a favorite. The mix of peach and raspberry create a soft and sweet flavor and the crust is just soft enough.

There are sweet, custard, cream and savory pies at the bakeshop. Flavors range from strawberry rhubarb to chocolate chip chess and prices start at $1.75 and range up to $28.

Although the pies are the size of cupcakes, Corbin said a pie is much more time consuming and intensive to make.

On holidays, baking begins as early as 4 a.m.

“The best part about working here is getting to make the pies from scratch and seeing everything that goes into them,” employee Tara Gomez said.

After being open almost a year, Corbin said her business has exceeded her expectations and is now catering. She caters jelly jar pies, lollipop pies, and toaster pastries for special events such as weddings, showers and dinner parties.

“Our concept has been very well received and we really feel like the people in this town have embraced us,” Corbin said.